Matthew 9

1-8 Here Jesus was in a home preaching the word Mark 2:2 and while He is sharing four men bring a sick man to Jesus through the roof and let the man down and Jesus seeing their faith said "thy sins be forgiven thee" there were others in that house. This was Peter’s house and the Pharisees were also there who had pronounced this man cursed of God for his sins. But Jesus pronounced a blessing and healing. This man was seeking forgiveness for his sins that caused his sickness. His disease was the result of a life of sin DA 267.2. But the disease of the soul which Christ healed was also needed to have relief. The burden of sin, with its unrest and unsatisfied desires, is the foundation of their maladies. They can find no relief until they come to the Healer of the soul. The peace which He alone can give, would impart vigor to the mind, and health to the body. DA 270.1 This paralytic wanted to be relief from his mental suffering which was remorse for his life of sin that caused his disease. People need spiritual healing and physical healing will follow DA 270.1. The Pharisees couldn’t deny what they saw, but they were still bent on quieting Jesus, so they entrenched themselves into unbelief. This paralytic was healed and really happy about what Jesus did for him. This story is also in Luke 5:17-26, as Jesus was teaching they were all kind of people there listening including the Pharisees and verse 17 says the power of the Lord was present to heal them. MH 74.2 

 

9-13 Publicans were hated the most among the Jews and the society. But Jesus called Matthew who is a publican, to follow Him. Jesus was not worried about what the society thinks. He is looking at the heart. So Matthew made a gathering at his house for Jesus and he brought his friends and associates so they can also meet Jesus. Many publicans and sinners came and also the disciples. When the Pharisees heard this, they ask a question to the disciples, hoping to turn them against Jesus they asked, "Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?" Jesus answered them by saying "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick." Jesus tells them to go learn what that means Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8; 1 Timothy 1:13-16. Then He shares what He does, which is to have mercy upon those who are sick and to call them to repentance. The Pharisees claimed to be spiritually whole. When they were in a worse condition than those who they despised. 

 

14-17 the disciples of John came to Jesus asking about fasting regarding his disciples. John the Baptist was in prison at this time. Jesus said to them, as long as the bridegroom is present there is no need to fast. This reminded them of what John said in John 3:29. Jesus wants his disciples to learn as much as they can while He is still there to learn the light of truth that they might also shed light to those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death. Because the time will come when He will not be with them. The true fast is found in Isaiah 58:6-7 10. Here is set forth the very spirit and character of the work of Christ. His whole life was a sacrifice of Himself for the saving of the world. Whether fasting in the wilderness of temptation or eating with the publicans at Matthew’s feast, He was giving His life for the redemption of the lost. Not in idle mourning, in mere bodily humiliation and multitudinous sacrifices, is the true spirit of devotion manifested, but it is shown in the surrender of self in willing service to God and man. { DA 278.2} Regarding the cloth, Jesus is saying you can’t mix both old and new together. The disciples of John were trying to mix the tradition of the Pharisees and the message of John the Baptist. Then Jesus illustrates further by using wine skins. 

 

The skin bottles which were used as vessels to contain the new wine, after a time became dry and brittle, and were then worthless to serve the same purpose again. In this familiar illustration Jesus presented the condition of the Jewish leaders. Priests and scribes and rulers were fixed in a rut of ceremonies and traditions. Their hearts had become contracted, like the dried-up wine skins to which He had compared them. While they remained satisfied with a legal religion, it was impossible for them to become the depositaries of the living truth of heaven. They thought their own righteousness all-sufficient, and did not desire that a new element should be brought into their religion. The good will of God to men they did not accept as something apart from themselves. They connected it with their own merit because of their good works. The faith that works by love and purifies the soul could find no place for union with the religion of the Pharisees, made up of ceremonies and the injunctions of men. The effort to unite the teachings of Jesus with the established religion would be vain. The vital truth of God, like fermenting wine, would burst the old, decaying bottles of the Pharisaical tradition. { DA 278.4} 

 

18-26 Here we see a child who is twelve years old Mark 5:42 and at the point of death or is dead, but the child’s Father believed that if Jesus touched her she shall live. So Jesus starts to go to his house and at the same time there is a woman who is diseased with an issue of blood for twelve years. Whether it’s twelves years old or twelves years of dealing with a disease God can heal it. As Jesus is going to the house of Jairo’s to heal his daughter, the woman touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and was healed. There were a bunch of people crowding Jesus but He recognized the touch of faith. She said in her heart ",,,if I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole." Jesus did it according to her faith. He even maneuver towards her so she can get in contact with her. She spent all that she had and have not gotten better and it grow worse Mark 5:26. Having an issue of blood is considered unclean Leviticus 15:25. In Numbers 15:38-39, the children of Israel were to make fringes in the border of their garments, so that when they look at it, they will be reminded of all the commandments of the Lord and do them. Here the woman with the issue of blood touch the hem of that garment and it made her whole. The commandments is the whole duty of man Ecclesiastes 12:13. Her faith made her whole, it was her faith in Jesus that made her whole and Christ is the end (fulfillment) of the law Romans 10:4. If Jesus didn’t practice dress reform the woman would not been able to access the hem of his garment. Also the woman tried to get healed without Christ’s knowledge and sneak away. She probably was thinking I can steal the healing and get away with it. But Christ acknowledges her faith and when He said who touched me, she did confessed and this also may have helped Jairus as well. 

A nominal faith in Christ, which accepts Him merely as the Saviour of the world, can never bring healing to the soul. The faith that is unto salvation is not a mere intellectual assent to the truth. He who waits for entire knowledge before he will exercise faith, cannot receive blessing from God. It is not enough to believe about Christ; we must believe in Him. The only faith that will benefit us is that which embraces Him as a personal Saviour; which appropriates His merits to ourselves. Many hold faith as an opinion. Saving faith is a transaction by which those who receive Christ join themselves in covenant relation with God. Genuine faith is life. A living faith means an increase of vigor, a confiding trust, by which the soul becomes a conquering power. { DA 347.1} 

 

When Jesus gets to Jairus house the girl was dead and people were there making noises and wailing. Jesus said why are you making all this noise? Mark 5:39. Jesus try’s to comfort them by saying she is only asleep, but they laughed at Him. That is sad, even Jesus got laughed at and scorned. He experienced all, from sorrow to grief, and even death itself. Jesus ask them to leave and then He takes the girl by the hand and she arose. In Mark 5:40 Jesus takes only the immediate family and raise the child in front of them and told them don’t share this and to also give her something to eat. Usually when sick you don’t eat much and being dead a few hours or less, she would have been hungry when she awoke. This tells us that Jesus knows the human body and how it works. What a powerful miracle! But it was based on faith, faith in Christ who has the power to heal. 

 

27-31 when Jesus left two blind men received their sight saying, "Thou Son of David, have mercy on us." Son of David is a title for Jesus John 7:42; Psalm 132:11; Jeremiah 23:5; Romans 1:3 because of the lineage of David Matthew 1:1; Luke 3:3. These blind men receive their sight according to their faith. But he asked them first if they believe that He is able to do this and they responded, yes. The lesson here is when we come to the word of God, we should be asking Lord, have mercy on me and open my eyes that I may know your truth. Jesus will do it according to our faith, to open our eyes so that we can understand the scriptures more fully Luke 24:30-31, 35. Jesus told them not to share what happen to them. But they ended up spreading His fame on all that country. Christ accomplishes our salvation by inspiring faith in our heart and a belief in the truth TDG 216.2

 

32-38 They brought to Jesus a dumb man who possessed with a devil. Dumb meaning he couldn’t speak Exodus 4:11-12; Isaiah 35:6 But when Jesus cast out the devil, the man was able to speak. Th demon had control of his tongue or mouth. The people marveled, saying, it was never so seen in Israel. The church or Pharisees tried to say Jesus was doing this through the devil. Trying to discourage the people. But he continue to visit cities and villages, teaching, preaching, and healing every disease among the people. Jesus traveled a lot during this time. CJesus was very compassionate. Because when He saw the multitudes He was moved with compassion because they were fainted or tired and scattered abroad as a sheep having no shepherd. Jesus told his disciple to pray for labourers to go into the harvest. God needs dedicated workers. John 4:34-36. When the flock is scattered what happens? Ezekiel 34:5-6; Zechariah 10:2. What does genuine compassion look like? 1 John 3:17-18